A LUNCH club for elderly residents has teamed up with a Glasgow charity to provide big days out and help people reconnect post-Covid restrictions.

The Lunch Club at Home by the Playpen Café has been working with Weekday Wow Factor to provide the social activities for elderly residents around Dollar.

In the past weeks, they have visited the Japanese Garden at Cowden as well as Loch Leven's Larder while a minibus trip to the Scottish Antiques Centre in Doune was next on the list.

Alexandra Ostroumoff-Croucher, CEO and founding director at The Playpen, told the Advertiser how the partnership has provided invaluable opportunities for residents to get out the house and indeed, out the village to enjoy themselves.

She said: “My goodness, they are just loving it.

“People in their 90s are having a great time, they don't often get to leave the house very much.

“Especially post-Covid restrictions, it's been a lovely project.”

Last week, The Playpen, a community interest company (CIC), scooped the Community Organisation of the Year award in East Clacks at Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface's annual Volunteer Awards.

Not only that, one of the good cause's young volunteers also won the Young Person of the Year award.

Rosie Biggart joined The Playpen at the height of Covid and recently finished a residential culinary course in Ireland.

Alexandra said: “She just joined as a volunteer and we immediately thought she was incredibly skilled and capable.

“She ended up leading the kitchen as head chef every week on a Monday, managing all the cooking and overseeing all the volunteers.

“These volunteers were in their 50s and 60s – she was 19!

“It was quite an undertaking and she was fantastic, so pleased she won that.”

This month, The Playpen has been busy delivering jubilee themed lunches and meals with a long-line of events.

One of these included catering for Muckhart Community Council, but also catering for various Volunteer Awards ceremonies in Dollar, Menstrie and Sauchie.

People interested in the Lunch Club can call Alexandra on 07818 638 778 while those looking for a day out can call Pauline on 07830 220 375 to book.